I just bought the Pathfinder core rulebook. I couldn't find any rules about reading and wrinting other than the Linguistics skill.
On what page can I find the rules for reading and writing?
... or do you need the Linguistics skill for you character to be able to read and write?
I just bought the Pathfinder core rulebook. I couldn't find any rules about reading and wrinting other than the Linguistics skill.
On what page can I find the rules for reading and writing?
... or do you need the Linguistics skill for you character to be able to read and write?
I believe the old hold out from 3.5 remains in effect here. Any character can read and write any language he can speak whether through high intelligence or from gaining ranks in Linguistics. Barbarians used to be the exception (they couldn't read any language until they spent one point which let them read all languages they knew) but I'm not sure if that part made the switch to pathfinder (it was a clunky rule that was often overlooked so I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't make it).
I just bought the Pathfinder core rulebook. I couldn't find any rules about reading and wrinting other than the Linguistics skill.
On what page can I find the rules for reading and writing?
... or do you need the Linguistics skill for you character to be able to read and write?
Page 17 of the core rulebook under intelligence it specifies even with a penalty to int you can still read and speak (and since you can read i think it's safe to assume you can write as well) your racial languages and common unless your int is lower than a 3.
Page 101 under learn a new language it states that when you put a point in linguistics you learn to speak and read a new language. (again safe to assume write it as well)
given these i think it's pretty safe to assume that you can read and write any language you speak, provided your int is 3 or higher.
Thanks, I found it on page 17.
When I think of a medieval or renæssance fantacy world. I wouldn't assume that the common soldier, thief or hunter would be able to read or write. Does anyone use some good house rules to cover that.
Maybe I could make an background Character Trait called illiterate. That makes the character come from a illiterate background and therefore unable to read or write. This trait could give free feat at the start of the game, but if wanted to learn the read or write later in the cause of the game, it would cost you a feat.
Or I could give everyone an extra Character Trait at the start of the game and make Character Trait called literate. Then you would need the literate Character trait to be able to read or write.
You're a PC. You're assumed to have better skill levels than the people around you. Unless you're a barbarian or a goblin or don't want to be literate, you are literate, even if you're the only person in your podunk village who knows his/her letters.
The backstory for this can be all sorts of things: Your uncle was a traveler and came by and taught you; your father did a good turn for a wandering wizard and he repaid the kindness by teaching you to read; you were sent to a convent or a schoolmarm at a young age. Whatever.
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Thanks, I found it on page 17.
When I think of a medieval or renæssance fantacy world. I wouldn't assume that the common soldier, thief or hunter would be able to read or write. Does anyone use some good house rules to cover that.
Maybe I could make an background Character Trait called illiterate. That makes the character come from a illiterate background and therefore unable to read or write. This trait could give free feat at the start of the game, but if wanted to learn the read or write later in the cause of the game, it would cost you a feat.
For the renaissance period there were strong difference between the various parts of Europe.
Speaking of Italy generally common farmers and workers were incapable of reading/writing, but as soon as you start looking at urban areas with enough trade the skill was reasonably common.
Another matter is what they were capable to read and write.
A good percentage of the people was capable to manage a "grocery list" and do some basic math but little more.
A relatively common find when restoring building from the XIV century onward is a walled niche with a paper signed by the architect, master builders, carpenters and even common workers at the end completion of the building, remembering who worked there.
Practically anyone that had a commercial activity (from the smith to the miller to anyone that traded with someone living outside his immediate neighbourhood) had more extensive writing skills and generally shared them with the family members.
So the reading skill wasn't rare, writing a bit more (people was capable to decipher a piece of paper and sign it, but incapable to write more than that).
In Golarion? I would consider most NPC barbarian and ranger illiterate or barely literate, fighters, rogues and commoners would be a mixed lot, witches, sorcerers, oracles could be illiterate as they don't need to know how to read and write for their craft (even if it would be useful). For all the other classes it would be almost mandatory.
A fun fact: the original version of the bard in the AD&D game was the Celtic bard. A Celtic bard was the repository of oral tradition, with the obligation to memorize all the informations and illiteracy was mandatory to be one of them.
For the renaissance period there were strong difference between the various parts of Europe.
Speaking of Italy generally common farmers and workers were incapable of reading/writing, but as soon as you start looking at urban areas with enough trade the skill was reasonably common.
Another matter is what they were capable to read and write.
A good percentage of the people was capable to manage a "grocery list" and do some basic math but little more.
A relatively common find when restoring building from the XIV century onward is a walled niche with a paper signed by the architect, master builders, carpenters and even common workers at the end completion of the building, remembering who worked there.
Practically anyone that had a commercial activity (from the smith to the miller to anyone that traded with someone living outside his immediate neighbourhood) had more extensive writing skills and generally shared them with the family members.
So the reading skill wasn't rare, writing a bit more (people was capable to decipher a piece of paper and sign it, but incapable to write more than that).
In Golarion? I would consider most NPC barbarian and ranger illiterate or barely literate, fighters, rogues and commoners would be a mixed lot, witches, sorcerers, oracles could be illiterate as they don't need to know how to read and write for their craft (even if it would be useful). For all the other classes it would be...
I liked you post Diego Rossi. You have a lot of different useful toughs and some fun facs.
Has anything official come from Paizo in regards to this?
Personally I like the idea of illiterate characters, makes the linguistic skill far more useful than it currently is (IMHO).
Cheers
Thanks, I found it on page 17.
When I think of a medieval or renæssance fantacy world. I wouldn't assume that the common soldier, thief or hunter would be able to read or write. Does anyone use some good house rules to cover that.
Maybe I could make an background Character Trait called illiterate. That makes the character come from a illiterate background and therefore unable to read or write. This trait could give free feat at the start of the game, but if wanted to learn the read or write later in the cause of the game, it would cost you a feat.
FFG's Midnight campaign setting (my current favourite) has all PCs be illiterate unless they spend skill points in each language in which they become proficient.
The setting assumes that PCs fluently speak their own native tongue, and sometimes a few other languages (according to racial background).
Learning to speak/understand other languages requires the expenditure of skill points and works as follows:
1 skill point = pidgin competence in one language
2 skill points = basic competence in one language
3 skill points = fluent in one language
A PC can only invest 1 skill point per level to enhance their fluency in a particular language (i.e., contrary to 3.5 and PFRPG, the investment of one skill point in linguistics does not grant you automatic fluency and literacy in a language).
Skill ranks in one language can enhance competence in related languages.
Moreover, one's level of verbal competency in a particular language results in modifiers to Diplomacy and Bluff checks (e.g., a PC who has only pidgin competence in orcish would incur significant penalties to their Diplomacy and Bluff checks, if the orcs and PCs did not share another common language).
The same generally goes for literacy. You can invest one skill point per language per level... assuming you have access to someone who can teach you to read (a rarity in the Midnight setting, as teaching someone to read is punishable by death under the laws of the Shadow... ignorance is key to domination).
While the most recent edition of the Midnight setting was developed for 3.5, I think it works just as well with PFRPG. I find it a much more believable system. In Midnight, the acquisition of language and literacy skills can provide an immense advantage, and is well worth the investment of skill points (especially when magic is rare and dangerous, and spells like comprehend languages, etc., are difficult to come by).
I realize this might not work in everyone's game...
Still, I encourage you to check out the Midnight 2nd ed campaign setting (still available in PDF from DriveThru RPG... at $9.99, it's a steal!
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You're a PC. You're assumed to have better skill levels than the people around you. Unless you're a barbarian or a goblin or don't want to be literate, you are literate, even if you're the only person in your podunk village who knows his/her letters.
The backstory for this can be all sorts of things: Your uncle was a traveler and came by and taught you; your father did a good turn for a wandering wizard and he repaid the kindness by teaching you to read; you were sent to a convent or a schoolmarm at a young age. Whatever.
Barbarians are literate in PF.
The goblin thing saddens me. I want a goblin alchemist, but they can't use a book
You're a PC. You're assumed to have better skill levels than the people around you. Unless you're a barbarian or a goblin or don't want to be literate, you are literate, even if you're the only person in your podunk village who knows his/her letters.
The backstory for this can be all sorts of things: Your uncle was a traveler and came by and taught you; your father did a good turn for a wandering wizard and he repaid the kindness by teaching you to read; you were sent to a convent or a schoolmarm at a young age. Whatever.
Barbarians are literate in PF.
The goblin thing saddens me. I want a goblin alchemist, but they can't use a book
Goblins can learn to read and write, they'll be cast out of their tribe as criminals, but it's possible.
Just read the "We be goblins" module descriprion (line 1&2).
I just leave it to the players. If they want to play someone illiterate, it's their choice. However, your character trait idea is quite fun.